Improvement in reed-organs



`butts b in forked pieces a.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MASON J. MATTHEVS, OF NEWY YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN REED-ORGANS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 148,479, dated March 10, 1674; application iled July 1'2, 1873.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MAsoN J. MATTHEWs, of New York city, State of New York, have invented certain Improvements relating to Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification:

I combine with a reed-organ vibrating tongues, acted on by hammers operated by the keys in a manner analogous to what is sometimes, known as a bell-piano. I employ peculiar coupling means and peculiar wind connections, and variously modify and improve the mounting of certain sets of reeds and their connections, so that useful and important effects are induced.

The following is a description of what I consider the best means of carrying out all the parts of the invention. The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a vertical section through the entire instrument. Fig. 2 is a horizontal plane, showing the arrangement of a series of levers adjacent to the reed-pan below the main wind-chest.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in both the figures.

The steel vibrators or tongues G are placed beneath the wind-chest B, so that the lower board of said chest shall form the sound-board for the vibrators. It is necessary that this board should be much thicker toward the treble portion of the instrument than at the base-a graduation from two-eighths to veeighths of an inch or more. It is important that the metal casting Gl should be so placed on the sound-board that a straight row of hammers may strike each tongue at the proper point. The hammers b2 are centered at their These pieces a reach to the upper surface of the wind-chest7 and to each are glued guide-pieces a2 a2. Through the lower end of the forked pieces a the regulating-screws a5 pass. On the end of each screw is xed a wooden or leather nut, properly faced with cloth. The tail of the hopper J 1 is gently pressed against this nut by the spring jl, which passes through a loop of thread knotted at the front and toward the heel of the hopper. On the hammerbutt b is a projecting-lip, b3, and engaging therewith is an acute shoulder, jg. Uien the key O is depressed a corresponding depression is made on the hopper, and the hammer b2 is driven to the steel tongue G, from which it falls back to its bed Bznstantaueously. by the escapement of the shoulder j3 from the lip b3, caused by the movement of the sloped tail J1 of the hopper J on the regulating-nut a5. The hopper is caused to rise and re-engage with the lip bf by the spiral spring j. The pin ji, passing through pieces 1.2, serves to keep the hopper in its proper position, and to guide its upward and downward movements. The holes throughwhich this guidepin fz passes are bushed with cloth. The hammer-drop B2 has au arm, B3, attached to it, reaching through the case. This arm is centered in the inside of the case-front. A tracker-pin connects this arm with a suitable stopaction, so that the hammer-drop B2 may be raised or lowered. YVhen all the hammers b2 are, by the adjustment of the stop and the consequent elevation of the hammer-drop, raised to the tongues G, the several hoppershoulders j3 will not, when the corresponding key is depressed, touch the lip on the ham mer-butt. In other words, the percussion-ac tion will be out of gear. The chest O, above and in front ofthe fulcrnm-rail of the keys, is peculiarly constructed. The lower part Ol is a tube-board, similar to the ordinary tubeboard. The upper part o3 is a chamber board. Over the opening' r is a chamber or channel, p2, with an opening, p, at a proper distance from the opening r. The object of these chambers is to conne the air, so that the sound from the reed may vibrate therein. This gives roundness and pipe-like quality to the tone. The roundness, smoothness, and pipe-like quality of tone, and absence of reediness, depend upon the length and capacity of the chambers. This chest has great solidity and firmness. The chamber-board 03 is thick at the bass and thin at-the treble end, and the sizes of the chambers cnt therein are graduated according to the pitches of the reeds.

This is effected 'lhe upper' openings p into the wind-chest O2 areI covered by pallets o. rlhese are attached to levers, and are bedded by springs of, the levers being` parchment-jointed, as shown. lt may be often expedient to make. the lever and pallet in one piece. To throw the upper reed-chest and its attachments out ot' use, l allow these parts to risey a little within the casing ot' the upper work, which latter will reduire to be raised only at long intervals. I make the tracker-pins operating these upper pallets in two sets, acting one upon the other. l lult' tracker-pins u extend from tl s pallets ol down through the chamber-board o and the guide-rail o4, and rest on the heads oi' the corresponding halt' tracker-pins nl below. A guide-rail (not shown) may be used tor steadying these last. The lower halt tracker-pins 'nl pass through their respective keys U to the harmoniuin-levers X, which lie. in the ordinary lever- 'ail a', resting on thc upper side ot" the tube-board l. lhe irontl end ot' each lever X. is in contact with the screw e in the corresponding key (l, so that the depressing ot' a key, i, causes the corresponding pallet o1 to rise, and thc reed to speak. The upper reed-chestwith its connections is hinged at the back ot' the instrument by hinges A strong spring, 01, at each end, shown by dotted lines, serves, when the chest is released i'rom its i'astenings, to raise it upward, so as to break the connection between the trz'iel-:er-pins ln n. The upper chest (l is caused to move slightly up and down in the easing by means ol' a wedge-shaped piece, U, whieh, lstanding in an opening in the rail-base above, is pressed upon by the stop-draw o, so that when drawn lorward, the reed-onesti is held down iirmly against theI resistance ot the springs o", and a coupling elt'ected. Xi'hen thc stop-draw o6 is again pushed in, the wedgepieee O and the stud o7 otl thc ship-dra o are disengaged, and the chest rises by the i'oi'ee ot" the springs fr", and uncoupling is ettected. lt is manifest that no inutes are necessary in this chest. Other stop means might be used, or the chest might be raised and lowered by a treadle.

Air communication from the upper windchest is made through the trunk opening into the main wind-chest l, and havingl an opening in front near its top. There is a short llexible connection, n', made like an accordion-bellows, between this trunk 'il' and the upper wind-chest (l2, in the i'orm shown. This makes a tight connection, and ollers no obstructions to the abeve-described slight rising and i'alling ot the upper work.

'.lhe upper training, c-.u'rying the stop-rails, is iastened down on blocks at each end oi' the instrument, so that it can be removed when necessary; but the top reeds are accessible l'rom the back without lit'ting the top. rJ'Chere is ay wide block, \\'1, in the main wind-chest, 13, running its entire inside length, with a l'ew Meer@ large vertical holes through both it and the wind-chest, shown in dotted lilies, which, properly controlled by thc swell-lids Y, lets out the sounds produced in the lower chest B1. Between these vertical holes are bored horiontal holes, also shown in dotted lines, which communicate between the front and back parts ot' the wind-chest l). All the reeds below the keys U have the advantage ot' the resonance ot' the whole chest. The holes shown in strong lines provide air communication between the wind-chest B and the trunk \\'hcn the ordinary vertical bellows are used, the horizontal passages through the block are usetul for air communication between them and the. reeds.

0n the under side of the lnain wind-chestll l mount a harmonium reed-pali, S, so as to torm ay species ot' iiexiblc or yielding bottom to the reed-chest. This pan is tightly but ilexibly connected or hinged at its back edge. lt is tlexibly connected all around to` the under side ot' the wiml-chest l, by means ot' rubber cloth or leather, the latter being preferable, so that the front edge can sink alittle, as shown. About halt' an inch will be usually sullicicnt. ()n the upper side ot' this reed-pan S is a row ot' harmonium-pallets, s, and levers s1. The tront ends ot' these levers .el are directly below a row of studs Y on the ordinary valvepallets above them.

\\'hen the reed-pan S is i'orced upward b v any means, and held tirmly up, each lever is so near tothe (o1-responding stud lll, that the depression ot' the key U ai't'ects both; but when thc reed-pan t3 is down in4 the position represented, the levers .el are too t'ar t'rom the studs to be touched.

l inake such provision in my instrument l'or the automatic control ot' the swell-lids Y, as renders their movement independent otl any connection 'with the reservoirs. ly my device, et'l'ects much superior to the automatic swell77 in cabinet-organs, and piano-swell in harinoniums, can be produced in conjunction with the. stop called expr-essioii."

The following is a description ot' the provision above alluded to: 0n the hinged piece Y is secured an arm, Y1, on the outer end ot' which is a weight, Y2, which serves as a partial counter-lmlance to the reed-pan S. \\'here, by extra-vigorous working ot' the bellows l, exhaust i'orce is produced in the wind-chest l, thc pan S will be sucked upward, and a coupling' etl'ccted between the levers sl on the pan S, and the studs si; in the mainwiud-chest l, at such a point as will give a crescendo eit'ect. 'lhc partial lnilanee-weight YJ on the arm Y, acts on one end ot' the lever VI. On the other end ot' this is a sticker or tracker rod, r, which reaches to the under side ot' the swell-valve Y. lhe coupling' ot' the levers s* It is not dependent upon the mechanical action of the reservoir, but upon the force of the air in the wind-chest.

When the pan S is sucked upward, the weight Y2 causes the depression of one end of the lever V1, and the consequent rising of the other end, together with the end of the lever V2, on which the tracker-pin e rests, and thus the swell-valves V are caused to open. This opening is at about the same time as the coupling is effected. It is desirable that the action should be so regulated that the coupling will take place a very little ahead of the opening of the swell-lid.

I can employ, at will, another means of opening the reed-pan. This is the footlever, which is mounted alongside ot' the main treadle, and provided with a catch, not represented, for holding it in the depressed position asy long as may be desired. Vhen the player desires to throw the reeds in the reed-pan S into action without a necessity for inducing the strong suction above described, he depresses the foot-lever V4, and thereby aises the sticker-rod V3, which acts on the lever Y, just below the reed-pan, and also on the lever V2. These levers and their connections are shown quite fully in plan View in Fi g. 2.

One effect of thus tilting the foot-lever V is to elevate the reed-pan S. Another is to move the adjoining lever V2, which turns on a fulcrum,.c2, and thereby deprcsses the connected end of the oblique lever V1, which turns on the fulcrum el, and, when thus oper* ated, lii'ts the weighted arm Y1. The connection of this arm Yl to the hinged piece Y and lever Y3 is made by a hinge at y.

\Vhen the reedpan S is elevated by means of the foot-lever V4, the motion, instead of, as before, opening the swelllids, leaves them entirely unaffected. Thus conditioned, the reeds in the reed-pan S are in full play, but the swell-lids, which ati'ect the issue ot the sound, remain shut, except as they are opened by an ordinary kneeswell action, not represented.

Many of the parts may be varied, within wide limits, by any goed mechanic, without saeriieing the advantages of the invention.

Sides may be added to the reed-pan S, but space is saved by dispensing with them.

The top chest O may be raised and lowered by other stop-actions, or by a foot-lever, inA stead of the stop draw represented. Even the springs o5 may be dispensed with, and the reed-chest may be held down by its gravity, with or without additional means, and may be lifted by the stop-action to nncouple.

Some of the advantages due to certain features ot' the invention may be separately enumerated, as follows:

First, by reason of the fact that the upper reed-chest O and its connections is capable of rising and sinking, and that the tracker-pins are divided in their lengths and adapted to act the one part upon the other, I am able to conveniently put the upper reeds into and out ot' play by a simple movement of the whole chest.

Second, by reason of the ilexible connection w, I maintain a tight windV communication. without interfering withthe desired vertical motion of the upper reed-chcst.

Third, by reason. of the union of the lower reed-pan S with the wind-chest B, by a iiexible connection, as shown, I am able to employ one or more sets of reeds below the wind-chest and to conveniently throw them into and out of play.

Fourth, by reason of the fact that the reedchest S tends to sink away from the windchest B, but can be drawn toward it by extra vigorous working of the bellows, I am able to couple and uncouple the reeds therein at will, by simply changing the wind-pressure.

Fifth, by reason of the fact that the footV lever V4 and its connections are arranged as shown, I am able to throw the reed-chest S into the coupled position at will, independently of any changes in the pressure of the air.

Sixth, by reason of the fact that the levers Y1 V l V2 Y3 and weight Y2 are arranged, as shown, relatively to the foot-lever V4, mova-V ble reed-chest S, and swclllids V, I am able to throw the reed-chest into the coupled position, at will, while leaving the swell-lids V closed and subject to be controlled entirely by other means.

Seventh, by reason of the tongues G, with their operating means, arranged as shown, I am able to obtain, through the hammenaction, the soft harp-sounds due to properly-adj usted tongues, and to render available as a soundboard for the tongues the lower or reiection board ol' the wind-chest B.

Eighth, by reason of the fact that the hammers are mounted in the same piece which carries the adjusting-screws a5, and is an ex tension of or attachment to the guide-piece or pieces a2, I am able to mount the hammers iirmly and operate them eliciently and delicately with very simple mechanism.

I claim as my inventionm4 l. The combination and arrangement ofthe set or sets of reeds o, divided tracker-pins a uf, with a movable reedchest, so as to couple and unconple the same by the movement ot' the chest, as herein specified.

2. The flexible tube w, iu combination with the movable reed-chest O and a trunk or passage, V, connecting with the wind-chest B, as herein specified.

3. The movable reed-pan S, with reeds 'and connections .iiexibly joined to the windchcst B, substantially as and for the purposes hereL in specified.

4. The levers Sl and pallets S, in combin nation with the studs S3, movable reed-pan S, and windchest B, substantially as specified.

S. The combination and arrangement of the guide-pieces A2, hammers b2, regulating-scren's e5, and jacks J J l, as and for the purposes hercin specified.

In testimony whereof' I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of July, 1873, in the presence of tno subscribing Witnesses.

MASON J. MATTHEWS.

lVitnesses:

Wn. C. DEY, ARNOLD HRMAXN. 

